Cherries can grow anywhere
by Moola Deena
Summary: When Sasuke came back everything was supposed to go so well. And it did, in the end. But it was Sakura that had to do all the work. One-shot. Sasusaku.


**A/N:** Well, this is my first sasusaku. It's my first straight pairing at all. It's my first one-shot this long. I want your honest opinion, people, but that is _not _an invitation to be rude.

I guess it's kind of AU, since Sasuke wasn't returned and so on and so on. And about ages, well, use your imagination and put them into the age(s) you see fit. I didn't concentrate on the actual facts when I wrote this. More on how Sakura felt and how she regarded the things happening.

As for the name; it was too long to be the actual name, so I had to cut it in half. :lol: I wanted to keep the whole title, though, as it was that very sentence that more or less inspired me to write this... Okay, maybe not, but it was that sentence that inspired me to let the fic turn out the way it did. I was just randomly reading about cherry trees, and suddenly I saw that sentence and 'dun dun dun' (:dramatic background music:) I thought: _That's **so **Sakura and Sasuke! _And then I wrote this... or well... then I changed the ending for this. And posted it.

**Warnings: **_Some _language _somewhere _I guess. Me and my foul mouth. Knowing me I can't write a text without it. And some OOC:ness I think. Sasuke is a bitch. Hate to write him. I can never get him right. :cries:

**Pairings: **Sasusaku and naruhina.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the series of Naruto, nor any of its characters. No suing… I told you not to be rude, remember? :points at A/N:

* * *

_**Cherries can grow anywhere, including the great cold of the tundra**_

It always hurt as much every time he rejected her. And he always did.

She always did her best to impress him, to be kind to him, to make him see her, acknowledge her. She always failed. And it was getting frustrating.

And sometimes she nearly gave up.

That was the times when he did _something_, said _something_, looked at her in some _something_ way that made her regain hope that _one _day, far off in the future, they _might _be able to get somewhere with this never-ending game of tag.

* * *

And then he disappeared. He left.

Sasuke left Konoha.

Sasuke left Team 7.

Sasuke left Sakura.

Sasuke left their _might-be-someday _future together.

And Sakura missed him. So bad. It felt as if he had ripped out her heart and (not taken it with him) thrown it in some bushes on the way to Orochimaru.

She just wanted to cry.

The worst thing was that she knew that Naruto (and maybe, just _maybe,_ Kakashi-sensei) felt just as much hurt and sorrow as her, and neither of them let it show how much it wore them down.

* * *

Sakura felt like fainting when she heard that Sasuke was back.

An ANBU-team had successfully captured him.

When she heard he most likely would meet death penalty she felt like dying.

All these years… they had been working so hard all these years to get him back. And now he was just going to die? What was the point? She couldn't find a reason satisfying enough to accept it.

Neither could Naruto.

Together they defended him in the court, worked until their hands and eyes bled (at least it felt like it) and talked until their throats were sore.

And then some more, and some more. They pushed and twisted until they finally, _finally _got their way.

Sasuke would live.

He was to be put in house arrest for 18 months; first nine months under Naruto's care, and then nine more with Sakura.

During the whole time they had not been allowed to see him.

* * *

They were escorted by ANBU when they moved Sasuke from his prison cell to Naruto's house.

Sakura really had no obligation to be there, but she had wanted to see him so badly.

He was taller now, and darker.

His eyes were so dark.

She wondered what kind of things they had seen in Oto to turn them so dark, so cold, and so… _hateful._

As if Sasuke for real thought that he was fighting in a war. A war against the world, a world he had to defeat.

It saddened her that she couldn't help him.

That was Naruto's job. She was a widely recognised medic nin, but coming to emotional hurt and mental scars… it was always Naruto who did the best job healing those.

* * *

She visited every day.

The first two months, Sasuke didn't even look at her when she was around.

He pretended he couldn't see her, couldn't hear her, couldn't feel her…

As if she wasn't there.

It made her want to cry. All this time she had only wanted his acceptance.

She had worked her ass off trying to save his life.

And now he just ignored her.

But she was used to it, after all, their whole childhood he hadn't done anything else than ignoring her. Only now they weren't children anymore, and he had obviously improved his abilities in disregard.

* * *

So after two long months, he finally opened up enough to look at her as she passed through the door.

He looked up at her and said: "Hi."

After that he went silent again, and he didn't say anything more. Not even taking good bye of her when she left. However, he hadn't ignored her. When she spoke, he had actually looked at her and listened to her words, as if she suddenly had turned human in his eyes again.

Just as when they were children. When she nearly gave up, he did _something_, said _something_, looked at her in some _something_ way.

And she was happy again.

Because maybe, just _maybe, _it wasn't too late for them after all.

* * *

Then came the time when Sasuke moved to Sakura for nine months.

She was so nervous. Sasuke had become rather settled with living with Naruto, and moving seemed to annoy him.

She didn't want that.

She didn't want to displease him. She wanted him to be happy.

That was the only thing she ever had wanted.

She tried to loosen up the tight knot in the pit of her stomach, telling herself that it couldn't possibly be so bad. Why would Sasuke like living with her less than he liked living with Naruto? No sense at all!

And if she was to go after the almost-smile (Sasuke-smile) that graced his lips when she (blabbering a lot of nonsense to his ever-listening ears) sat down a plate of nikujaga in front of him for dinner, he could very well be considered as 'happy' as he ever would get.

* * *

Sasuke talked. Sometimes. When he felt like it.

No, not when he _felt _like it. More like… when he needed it.

Or maybe it was when _she _needed it.

And even though Sasuke rarely spoke, and therefore shouldn't really have much practise in it, he always knew what to say, and how to say it, to make it all make-believe better again.

Like the time she nearly broke down in the middle of the living room, because everything was so not-good at that moment.

She had never asked him about his life in Oto.

But she had often wondered. And she always worried about it.

At that time, he had put a hand on her shoulder and led her to the couch, gently pushing her down.

And then he had started talking. His voice had been low, calm, smooth.

And he had told her a few things of how he had been during these years he had been gone.

And suddenly, everything had been a little easier to handle.

Not _better _in anyway. To be honest, it was more or less worse than before, because now she _knew. _Now she held knowledge of a few parts of his life.

But it still had been easier to handle for the very same reason.

After all, now she _did _know. And when you do know, it's always easier to make things right again.

* * *

And so came the time when Sasuke was free to go.

And he moved back to that Uchiha-district of his.

Sakura was so happy for him. And at the same time her heart fell into thousands of shattered pieces, and she thought that she never would be able to find them all, to pick them up, to put them together and make her whole again.

Because once again Sasuke left her.

Even though it was unfair of her to think of it in that way. After all, Sasuke had never held any interest in her, so why would he want to stay live with her? That was just ridiculous.

Still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that he once again was slipping right through her grasp.

* * *

Sasuke was back in work again.

She was working with Sasuke again.

Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi and her was on a team again.

It was no longer called Team 7 – no, that was from the past, a past they all held in dear memory at the same time as they did their best to forget – but it was still _them _on a team together. And she knew she was happy.

* * *

He and she sat on a stone watching Naruto chasing Kakashi for being late again.

It was early summer, or maybe late spring, depending on how one wanted to regard it, and even though the sleek sun beams softly played over their soft skin and bare feet, it wasn't hot in that sweaty, sticky way it would be further into the summer.

Sakura turned to him with a smile.

"Say, Sasuke", she chirped. "You want to go take a bath?"

He shifted on his spot, but his eyes didn't leave the two Jounins running over the field.

"Yes."

She was so shocked she almost fell off the stone. She hadn't expected that. He had never accepted any suggestions that could resemble of a date from her before.

She regained her composure fairly fast and smiled at him.

"Then let's go."

And together they left for the river, leaving the other two behind.

* * *

When Sakura reflected over it afterwards, she couldn't remember how they had ended up alone. Neither Kakashi-sensei nor Naruto was around, which was unusual, as the village still didn't trust Sasuke fully, and didn't want him to be alone with just a mere Chuunin to watch him.

However, they sat under a big oak, their backs resting against the rough bark.

Sasuke had closed his eyes. Sakura idly plaited flowers to a colourful twine, while softly humming to herself.

Then she threw him a look.

"You know, Sasuke-kun, you and Naruto really get along much better nowadays", she said. She knew it was daring – she hadn't come so close to mention the Time Before Sasuke's Departure before. He didn't punch her in the face however, nor did he snap at her.

He didn't even glare or stiffen.

He just lazily opened one eye and gazed at her with half-interest.

She gathered some courage and continued.

"You know, it's probably because you spent so much time together when you lived at his place. And I'm sure-"

A sudden movement stopped her mid-sentence.

Sasuke had moved… _closer… _without actually moving, nor getting closer to her in any way.

"You know", he murmured quietly, "I really meant what I said all those times. And it seems I really _was _right; you _are _annoying."

And then he kissed her.

It wasn't at all how she had fantasized it would be like.

She was so shocked that she didn't really participate in the kiss, and it was clear that Sasuke was rather inexperienced… or so nervous that he didn't really know what he was doing. Her lips were slightly chapped, while _his _were just as soft and pliant as she always had thought them to be.

Her first thought was: _In your face, Ino-pig! Sasuke is kissing _me! _Hell yeah!_

That made her slightly bothered. Maybe she wasn't in love with Sasuke any longer, because if she was, shouldn't she have all those butterflies fluttering in her stomach, just as when they were twelve? Shouldn't she be thinking of how she finally, _finally _got to kiss him instead of how she had beaten Ino to get kissed by him before her?

The kiss lasted in less than two seconds.

Then he simply sat back in his snug spot with his back leaning against the tree and closed his eyes again.

* * *

He ignored her for three days. _Three!_

It was nearly unbearable.

She wasn't sure why. She had come to the conclusion that she wasn't in love with him, right?

Until she realised that she was.

Until she realised that Sasuke never would ask her out.

So she did it herself.

He said yes.

That night he took her out for dinner (she took him out for dinner) and then they went to see some sappy movie.

It was nice.

It was their first official date.

And Sakura couldn't be happier.

* * *

So came the day when they decided that Sakura where to move in with Sasuke in that beautiful house of his.

Then came the day she wanted to redecorate the house. Sasuke let her.

He didn't mind about that kind of stuff.

He didn't stop her from turning their bedroom a light shade of aquamarine, or the kitchen creamy-white, or the bathroom oceanic blue-green. The only time he actually said anything at all was when she wanted the living room to be repapered in a rosy pink colour.

Then he uttered one simple word:

"No."

The living room turned into a warm sunny yellow, and a juicy orange.

* * *

Sakura and Sasuke went to Naruto and Hinata's wedding in winter the same year they had moved together.

Sasuke seemed honestly happy for his friend.

But when Sakura asked afterwards if he ever was going to propose to her he just turned his face away with a scoff and muttered that it was a bit too early to think about that.

She laughed and threw a handful snow at him.

Somehow they managed to end up struggling in a big pile of snow outside their house, legs and arms tangled and occasionally lips 'accidentally' brushing against whatever bare skin they could find.

* * *

Sasuke was busy looking after a roof leak Sakura had complained about when she told him she was pregnant.

He fell down from the ladder. Lucky for him, Sakura _was _a medic nin, and she was perfectly capable of handling his sprained foot.

As soon as she was done he threw himself at her, before he gathered enough composure (though he was still happily blushing) to mumble something about 'celebrating' and cooked the most delicious dinner for the two of them.

Sasuke was definitely a better cook than her. So she really didn't understand why it always was _her _making dinner except when they 'celebrated'.

Maybe because they would enjoy it even more those times they actually did 'celebrate'?

* * *

Sakura wanted to get married before she gave birth to the baby.

Sasuke wouldn't listen. He didn't want to marry at all.

"It's too much attention", he muttered grumpily every time she brought it up.

Finally Sakura decided that this was the same as with the dating. If she wanted something to happen, she would have to take the first step herself. Which was the exact reason why she found herself in a jewellery store picking out rings.

That evening she proposed to Sasuke.

He blushed. And said yes.

* * *

They didn't get married before the baby was born.

The beautiful little girl looked exactly as her father. This made Sakura happy.

Hopefully their daughter would be blessed with the Sharingan as well.

Oh how she hoped that would be the case. Because she knew that that was what Sasuke wished for.

* * *

They couldn't agree on a name.

Their little Uchiha-heiress was to be named before they married – that they had agreed on, because they wanted her name on the invitation-cards as well – but what were the poor parents to do if the father wanted her to be called 'Minako' while the mother insisted on 'Yui'?

They ended up writing a list each consisting of ten names they liked, in falling order. The only name that was written on both lists was 'Masumi'. It was number eight on Sakura's list and nine on Sasuke's – still neither complained.

"Masumi it is", Sasuke said with a faint smile, tired after not getting much sleep that night (that baby knew how to _scream_) and discussing names with Sakura all day.

The invitation-cards were made of thick, creamy paper (expensive) with elegant, golden letters. Sakura had picked them out herself. Sasuke didn't care much about what the invitation-cards looked like; it was _Sakura's _wedding after all. He just happened to be part of it.

* * *

Masumi was an adorable child. The most perfect little girl anyone ever could imagine.

But Sakura wanted a son.

She knew that Sasuke was satisfied with Masumi-chan. He had often told her that he now had more than he ever could have wished for; a wife he kind of loved (his way to express it, even though he said it in a way that made her understand how deeply she actually had managed to root herself in his heart), friends that never would leave him (hell, they had stayed by his side even after him betraying them like that. No way would they leave _now, _whatever more stupid ideas he might get in his life) and a beautiful tot padding on soft feet over the kitchen tiles whenever you expected it the least.

So when Sakura said she wanted another child, she was not surprised when Sasuke protested. As with so much else in their lives.

* * *

They got another daughter. This time they didn't argue about the name.

Sasuke had given the infant one look (Masumi sat in his lap looking ever so curious at her baby sister) and said that it was a little Yuna.

Sakura agreed.

Yuna. There was no question about it.

* * *

Yuna was, just like her older sister, black-haired, but her green eyes had tattled that she never would hold the Sharingan.

Still, she somehow became Sasuke's favourite.

When Sakura confronted him about it he smiled at her, almost sadly.

"It is a good thing she won't have it", he explained softly. "These eyes… they bring more pain than happiness. I'll only pray that she'll never become a ninja at all."

And somehow, Sakura could understand that. Maybe it was for the best after all.

"I'm still glad that Masumi might have it, though", he added, as an afterthought. "That I might not be the last."

She could understand that too. It must feel as such a relief for him that his proud bloodline maybe, just maybe, wouldn't die with him.

"Sasuke", she mumbled, snuggling up close to him. "I still want a son."

He stiffened.

* * *

**A/N: **Please review. It will be hard for me to improve my writing if I don't get any feedback.


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